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Don't be put off by the stories. As Dee has just pointed out males and females can often fight also.

I have two females and so far so good. My older girl when I first originally bought Phi home had a couple snaps at her when she was being annoying but nothing in the past 4 months or so. They love to play now and are good friends. I think it also comes down to making sure YOU are the head of the family or pack leader which ever you prefer.

I agree with everyone else do not give either more attention than the other. Dogs do not understand why you are doing it. Better to spend equal time with each, feed them equally, give them treats and attention equally.

Good luck. In the end if your not sure at the end of the trial period it is probably not a good idea. You need to be absolutely sure that adding this particular dog to your family is right for you, your OH and your current dog.

So..... Ollie & Bella were playing while I was taking photos of them & the playing escalated into a fight & they wouldn't listen to me... I had to use a bucket of water to break them up... as soon as they stopped they were licking each other & made up.... but I've keep them separate since.... each has a couple of small wholes in them...

They were playing so well this morning... they even had a nap together...

I don't want to risk their safety so I rung the RSPCA & told them I was going to bring Bella back. She's such a beautiful girl... I can't stop crying about having to take her back.

I am so sorry this has happened.......It is probably the right thing to do.

We take in Rescues and for the last two we have checked at the Rescue place to see wether our other dogs liked the new potential Rescue.

When we got the last Rescue, lukey, there was another much better looking and happier newfie boy. But my two newfies were not happy with this boy. And when we met Lukey it was friendship at first sigh and now they adore him and he is part of their pack.

I think you have to consider the other dog. When we brought in our other newfie Rescue, Annabelle she was very dog aggressive and people aggressive and it took a lot of training time and money to get her right. And you will always be on the look out for a possible dogfight. Now we train actively and I am into dog behaviour. But that is not everyones cup of tea. So I think generally it is better and makes for a happier household to have dogs that get on from day one.
Good luck with you search for a new companion. I am sure it will happen

Bella isn't an aggressive dog... just hasn't had enough experiences yet. It was my fault... I would usually step in & stop the play the moment there were any growls or one got too rough...I thought I'd try to let them sort themselves out instead & I was too distracted taking pics to notice how much it escalated.

The dogs were at the separating fences wagging tails at each other so I let them see each other again... it was all licks & Bella kept licking where she got Ollie... They tried to have a play again but I wouldn't let them (just incase)... Bella started rolling around on her back having a whinge when I stopped them.... so there are no bad feelings between them.... the attached pic is posted dusted up.

I'd really like to get into behaviour/training & do a certificate eventually. Atm I don't know if I have the ability to keep them safe so logic tells me to take her back.... even though she's never done anything to deserve being left at a shelter... again

I couldn't do it.... I literately couldn't stop blubbering long enough to safety drive her back...

Instead I went to the pet expo and spoke to a few dog trainers... I found one that comes to the house & does one-on-ones & offers on going training that I liked so I'm going to get her in to train me! When I'm not home or when I go to sleep I'm keeping them separated and I've started removing all toys when I'm not supervising. Now whenever there is a growl or raised hair I'm stopping play straight away...

The girls don't hate each other... they're usually very affection to each other... I'm just not being a strong enough leader... fingers crossed the dog trainer pulls me into line.

Good luck. You really sound like someone who has the dogs welfare at heart and that is important. However, keep in mind that you must not let your heart rule your head if you can't make it work.

You must be psychic Anne.

There was an 'intervention' - the husband won't let me permanently kept her (even though he was the one with the bright idea to bring her home the night before he left for 2 months & before we could let Ollie meet her *sigh*)- and I wasn't able to foster her so I had to return her today. I'm sure the girls at the RSPCA thought I was mad for being such a blubbering mess over a dog I had for 2 weeks but they assured me she'd have no problems getting a home because several people came in just after we took her home & one was particularly upset he missed out. But I'll be keeping tabs on her just incase.

Dogs sure know how to leave an impression.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for their input it was really appreciated

I'll be working on my 'inner dog whisper' before attempting another adoption AND I'll be ensuring Ollie meets any potential siblings before we bring them home.

If I was looking for a good dog trainer, I would drop Steve at K9 Pro The K9 Professionals; Dog Training and Behaviour Site a line and ask him to recommend someone, or ask him what he thinks of the one you have chosen. And I recommend reading the articles on his website about what to look for in a dog trainer and what you can expect. I think you have the right idea. While they're called "dog trainers" or "dog behaviourists" - what you really need is a "people trainer" who trains people how to manage their dogs... ie you need to know what to do when the trainer leaves.